China’s Xi’an imposes ‘strictest’ controls to halt Covid outbreak

BEIJING - The locked-down Chinese city of Xi’an yester day tightened Covid-19 con trols to the “strictest” level, banning residents from driving cars around town in an effort to control the coun try’s worst outbreak in 21 months.

China has stuck to a “ze ro-Covid” strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns as Beijing prepares to welcome thousands of over seas visitors for February’s Winter Olympics.

But historic Xi’an - where 13 million residents are fac ing their fifth day of home confinement - is at the centre of a flare-up that has pushed nationwide daily infections to their highest numbers since March 2020.

Restrictions tightened fur ther yesterday as Xi’an an nounced it would impose the “strictest social control mea sures,” according to a city gov ernment social media account.

The northern city - home to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors - recorded 150 new cases yesterday, bringing the total to around 650 since December 9.

No vehicles are allowed on the roads unless they are as sisting with disease control work, the latest announce ment said.

Police and health officials will “strictly inspect” cars, and those who break the rules could face 10 days’ detention and a fine of $78.

Two other cities in Shaanxi province also reported a case linked to Xi’an, as authorities urged migrant workers from the city not to travel home in the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday.

The Xi’an government has come under fire for its per ceived poor handling of the outbreak, with China’s disci plinary body saying last week that 26 local officials had been punished for lapses in virus prevention.